Tufting device



March 16, 1954 ,C. B. WILSON TUFTING DEVICE Filed'Sept. 28, 1951 FIG. I.

3 WWW inVention, the needle or with aknife, knives or I "or implements which is or "are actuatedauto- Patented Mar. 16, 1954 UNITED s TAT-ES nFFm-E YTUFTQING DEVICE Clifford- B. Wilson, ss'ett,- England Application septcinber 28, 1951, Scrial=No.l-248',833

This invention. relates "to anew. or "improved "'mea'ns'ior use in making rugsandthe like and hasfor'its chief objectto' provide a'n'ewor'im- "prove'd' construction of needle orinstrumentto that described in myPatent 2;581,894, "January l "8, 1952.

According to the inventionthe' instrument 'op- According. to a further feature of the'present instrument is provided other cutting implement matically to out the wool at each stroke ofthe needle or instrument-either into or out of the backing orbase, the knife, knives or other cutting implements being so positioned in the needle or instrument that the -cutthe wool -into lengths whichwill provide the necessary U-shaped tufts when the lengths of wool "have been passed through the backing or base. i

The needle or instrument willbe operated'in the same manner as described in my said Patent No. 2,581,894, but instead of having to make separate movement or twist of the handle to cut the wool, the cutting is efiected automatically once during each complete strok or cycle of the needle or instrument through the backing or base.

A constructional embodiment is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a part sectional elevation of a needle or instrument showing operating and cutting mechanism.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on the line A-A of Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view on the line B-B of Figure 1. V

Figure 4 is a plan view of a cutter blade.

Referring to the drawings the needle or instrument consists of a tubular member I which is divided in two parts at a housing 2 which contains the cutter blades 3. The'tubularmember I receives the Wool (not shown) and has its forward end 4 pointed or'cut-away at an angle to facilitate its penetration through the backing or base. Associated with one portion of th tubular member I is an outer sleeve 5 constituting the handle of the needle or instrument and housing a spring 6 which surrounds the tubular member I. The lower end of the spring 6 engages a collar 1 which. provides arbearingifor lthe" tubulanmember I "This collar "I carries an .arm i 8 having la number of teeth -9. which: project through .al'lon- :gitu'dinal slot IIIIin the tubular memberl .torengage and .preventi-the wool (not shown) being "withdrawn when the needle is retracted readyffor the neXt tuft "formation during operation. I

The collar 1 carries an arm II which is secured at its lower -end'to a'collar "I3 also fixed 'tothe armLB. The arm II .is shaped. so astoiorma shoe or Iguid IZ whichhas an apertureior the passage oflthe pointed end of the tubular-mem- "ber I. Thefi'xed collar [3 ,provides abearing' for 'the' tubular member I and'the shoe I'2'may also .support the end ofthearm 8 which carries' the teeth-9 previously referredto.

The housing 2 "secured to I the router sleeve J5 "accommodates apai'r of cutter 'b1a'des"3 each having. an aperture I4 for the passage for .;the wool (not shown) and an opposed cutting edge I 5 "(see Figures 3 and 4) "I'he' cutter blades are arranged to reciprocate t in close relationship so "that the cutting edges passrone another and are retained"in"position'by"means "of leaf'springs I 6 (see Figures 1 and 2).

"Eachfcutter blade is 'provided with abutments and controlled. The arm II is formed with cam shaped edges I9 which are engaged by the abutments I8 of th cutter blades 3. A further arm 20 having inclined sides 2i is engaged by the abutments I! on the cutter blades 3.

In order to more clearly understand the actuation and controlling of the blades, the operation of the needle will now be described.

The end of the wool is fed through the tubular member I by the gripping action of the teeth as a result of the telescoping action and movement of the tubular member I relative to the fixed arm 8 and teeth 9.

. When the end of the wool is at the lower end of the tubular member the needle or instrument is ready for operation.

The shoe I2 is placedon thecanvas or backing and as will be seen from the drawings that in the normal position the cutter blades are open. To commence the stroke, the handle or outer sleeve 5 is pressed which causes the tubular member I to penetrate the canvas or backing and at the same tim causes the'abutments I1 and I8 of the blades 3 carried in the housing 2 to be engaged by the cam-shaped edges of the arms 20 and I I. The cutter blades 3 remain open until the abutments I I are engaged by the inclined sides 2| of the arm 20 which causes the cutting blades to slide one past the other until the cutting edges pass one another and in so doing sever the wool at a point approximately half way in the stroke of the needle. Th cutting blades are permitted to close by reason of the recessed portion on the arm II. It will be appreciated that the actual cutting takes place at the narrowest point of the arm I 1. Further penetration of the needle through the backing or base causes the arm 20 to ride past the abutments ll of the cutting blades 3 and the abutments l8 engage the widened inclined sides of the arm H which open and hold the cutting blades 3 for the remainder of the forward stroke of the needle.

During the withdrawal stroke of the needle the shoe l2 remains in contact backing and the teeth 9 hold whilst the tubular member I the wool held thereby. During the withdrawal of the handle and tubular member the cutter blades are held open and the arm 20 which is of spring material rides over the edges and abutments ll of the blades 3.

The cutting takes place within the tubular member and the first stroke passes one end and approximately half the tuft through the backing in which position the tuft is held stationary by the teeth 9.

The tubular member is withdrawn through the backing and the needle moved to the next point for penetration which when made passes the remaining portion of the tuft through the backing at the same time cutting a further tuft within the tubular member ready for the next penetration.

By repeating the strokes of the needle it will be seen that a substantially continuous action of cutting and tuft forming is achieved during which time the wool is fed continuously through the needle.

Whilst the invention has been described in connection with the making of rugs it is equally applicable with little modification to tapestry work, embroidery and other forms of needle work where a canvas or other base is employed.

I claim:

In a rug making needle the combination of a tubular member open at both ends for the paswith the canvas or the wool stationary is withdrawn along sage of wool or its equivalent therethrough and formed in two parts, said member having a longitudinal slot and being pointed at its forward end, a cutter housing connected to said tubular member between said two parts thereof, an outer sleeve forming a handle connected to the rear end of said tubular member and to said housing, a collar within said housing and slidably surrounding the rear part of said tubular member, a compression coil spring located around said tubular member between said collar and the rear end of said outer sleeve, a stationary bar, an actuating bar and an actuating tongue all secured to said collar and passing through said housing, said stationary bar having forwardly inclined teeth projecting inwards through said slot, said actuating bar having converging and diverging surfaces forming a waist and having a foot with an aperture through which the forward part of the tubular member can move, said actuating tongue having cam surfaces and an out-turned nose which is located level with the waist on said actuating bar, and two movable cutters located transversely in said housing and having central apertures for the passage of the wool or its equivalent and having opposed knife edges, said cutters bein pressed together by spring action and having two sets of actuating abutments, one set engaging the cam surfaces on said actuating tongue during the first part of the penetration stroke to close the cutters and cut the wool or its equivalent and the other set engaging the cam surfaces on said actuating bar to open the cutters and keep them open during the rest of the complete stroke, said cutters being arranged to ride under said actuating tongue without being actuated thereby on the withdrawal stroke.

CLIFFORD B. WILSON.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 297,05? Bertrand Apr. 15, 1884 1,603,328 Dietz Oct. 19, 1926 2,581,894 Wilson Jan. 8, 1952 

